Vacuum cleaning system



Au@ 65! WQ@ @BLE E@ VACUUM CLEAMNG SYSTEM Original Filed Feb. 16 1944],v

Patented ug. 6, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VACUUM CLEANING SYSTEMOriginal application February 10, 1941, Serial No. 378,236. Divided andthis application August 15, 1942, Serial No. 454,940

(CI. 18S-57) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to vacuum cleaning systems and more particularlyto methods and structure for cleaning the filter of a vacuum cleaningsystem to remove accumulated debris which interferes with the passage ofair.

The present application is a division of copending application SerialNo. 378,236 filed February 10, 1941.

In the usual vacuum cleaning apparatus a fabric bag or drum is employedto remove foreign particles from the incoming air stream. The pores orinterstices of the fabric quickly become clogged with dust and lintwhich create a back pressure on the blower thereby greatly reducing theeffective suction of the cleaner. The only provision usually made forcleaning the bag is to provide for its removal for dumping purposes.Such a procedure removes only the loose coarse dirt and the lter itselfremains clogged with debris.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide means forcompletely cleaning the cleaner lter medium by the action of mechanicalcleaning means combined with a ow of cleaning air; and to accomplish theforegoing within the system or machine by the use of the regular vacuumblower or suction-creating means and Without removal of the filteringdevices. Other objects and advantages reside in the details ofconstruction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economyand efficiency. These will become more apparent from the followingdescription.

In the following detailed description of the invention reference is hadto the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters indicatelike parts throughout.

All of the views of the drawing are diagrammatic and details ofconstruction have been omitted but their provision is well within theskill of anyone familiar with the art.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention in whichthe filter unit is cleaned by fabric agitation and a cleaning flow ofair; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail section of the filter-contacting cleaningelement; and

Figure 3 is a showing of a second preferred embodiment of the inventionin which only the lter-contacting brush is movable; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional View illustrating a portion ofthe apparatus shown in Figure 3.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1 and 2,

in which the first preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated,a motor-driven suctioncreating unit or blower is shown and indicated bythe reference character 36. The inlet or suction conduit 36a extendsupwardly into the unit 36 from within an enclosed cylindrical chamber 32having an enlarged base portion 42. Chamber 32 comprises a Whirl chamberin which dirt is separated from its carrying air and 42 forms the dustpan for the chamber, The suction conduit 36a leads from a dependingaxial position within the cyclone or whirl chamber 32. A suction intakeor nipple 3l enters tangentially into the whirl chamber to conductdirt-laden air thereinto from an air hose 38 which, in normal use forvacuum cleaning purposes, is provided at its outer end with a suitablecleaning nozzle Il as is indicated in dotted lines.

Enclosing the whirl chamber 32 is a filter chamber 33 the surroundingcylindrical wall of which is formed by a fabric filter wall 34 which maybe provided with a suitable surrounding screen 35 to prevent outwardmovement of the wall. Filter chamber 33 encloses the whirl chamber 32 inairtight relationship, the intake 3l extending through the filterchamber wall into the whirl chamber and the only connection between thetwo being through the exhaust ports of the suction-creating or blowingunit 36.

As is clear from a consideration of Figure 1 the suction-creating unit36 draws air axially from the whirl chamber through the inlet 36a anddischarges it radially into the lter chamber 33.

In the normal use of the cleaner the dirt-laden air enters through thecleaner nozzle Il, passes first through the whirl chamber wherepractically all of the foreign material is removed to be depositedwithin the dust pan 42. A small percentage of the suspended foreignmaterial, however, escapes to be drawn with the air through the conduit36a into the suction-creating unit 36 to be exhausted within the lterchamber 33. This small percentage of foreign material will then .beremoved from the air as it passes through the filter fabric wall 34 intothe surrounding atmosphere. The efciency of the machine, however, isdependent in large part upon the resistance to the flow of cleaning airthrough filter 34 remaining at a low figure. This requires that the nalfilter not become clogged with foreign material. To insure that thiscondition will maintain and to eliminate the necessity of removing thislter for purposes of cleaning, as in the ordinary cleaner, there isincorporated into the cleaner constructed in accordance with the presentinvention means by which the lter 34 is cleaned in situ. These will nowbe described.

Within the filter chamber 33 and surrounding the whirl chamber 32 thereis provided a ringlike brush-carrying nozzle 4i). Nozzle 40 is providedwith a slot around its periphery, as is clearly shown in Figure 2, andprojecting outwardly therethrough is the bristle portion of an annularbrush 4i which contacts the inner side of the cylindrical fabric Wall offilter 34. Nozzle 4i] is itself carried by a vertically movable suctiontube or pipe 39 which, in the filter-cleaning operation, has its upperopen end connected to the end of the air ho-se 38 from which the nozzleIl has been removed, and as illustrated in full lines in Figure l.Normally in the operation of the machine the top of the suction tube 39is closed, as by a removable cap 39a.

It is readily seen that as the brush-carrying nozzle 40 is raised andlowered by the operator, through an actuating force exerted upon theconduit Si), the brush 4I will, through its Contact with the inner side`of the filter wall, dislodge the adhering foreign material and thismaterial Will immediately be drawn by suction into the nozzle 49 throughthe peripheral slot therein. The dirtladen air entering nozzle 4f! willpass through the air hose 33 and from thence into the whirl chamber 32to be deposited nally within the dust pan 42 of that chamber. After thevertical reciprocation of the nozzle 40 several times within the lterchamber, the air hose 3S can be disconnected from the conduit 39, nozzleil again attached thereto, the cap 39a placed in closure relationship tothe conduit 39 and the cleaner will again be ready for normal operation.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, in particular, the second preferredembodiment of the invention is disclosed and is seen in its generaloutline to be very similar to that first described. In this embodimentof the invention, however, the vertical air conduit 39 which carried thenozzle 40 in the iirst embodiment of the invention is fiXedly positionedwithin the filter chamber and in place of the nozzle 40 there isprovided a rim-like bottom plate 43. Conduit 39 opens to the under sideof plate 43 and the latter forms a circular slot 44 between its ownperipheral edge and the surrounding filter wall 34. A solid annularbrush 4l is provided in this embodiment of the invention which ispositioned in contact with the inner wall of the filter fabric 34, as inthe first embodiment. Here, however, the brush is supported I by its ownvertical shaft 46 the upper end of which is provided with a handleportion 48.

Brush 4'! is vertically movable within the filter chamber in the mannerof the nozzle 40 and brush il of the first embodiment. In thisembodiment, however, vertical reciprocation 0f the brush serves todislodge foreign material from the cylindrical wall of lter 34 and thismaterial then falls downwardly through the slot 44 to be drawn upwardlyfrom a position below the bottom plate 43 into the conduit 39. Thedirt-laden air then, as in the first embodiment, makes its way via theair hose 38 to the whirl chamber where it is separated and finallydeposited within the dust pan 42. In this embodiment, as in the firstembodiment, air hose 38 is adapted to carry the nozzle I1 or to beconnected to the top of the air conduit 39 upon the removal of thenormal closure cap 39a thereof. In normal cleaning use this machinefunctions identically with that first described.

I claim:

l. In a suction cleaner, a whirl chamber adapted to be connected to acleaning nozzle to separate dirt from air passing therethrough, asuction-creating unit connected to said whirl chamber to draw airtherefrom, and a filter chamber including a iilter connected to saidsuction-creating means to receive and filter air exhausted therefrom, amovable brush in said lter chamber to dislodge foreign material fromsaid lter, a fixed suction intake in said filter chamber to remove saidforeign material dislodged by said brush and positioned adjacent saidbrush in one of its positions, and air-conducting means connecting saidintake to said whirl chamber to convey said foreign material thereto.

2. In a suction cleaner, a whirl chamber adapted to be connected to acleaning nozzle to separate dirt from air passing therethrough, asuction-creating unit connected to said whirl chamber to draw airtherefrom, and a filter chamber including a filter connected to saidsuction-creating means to receive and filter air exhausted therefrom, amovable brush in said filter chamber to dislodge dirt from said filter,a stationary filter intake adjacent the bottom of said chamber to removedirt dislodged by said brush and positioned adjacent said brush in oneoi its positions, air-conducting means connecting said intake to saidwhirl chamber, and manually operable means to actuate said brush.

3. In a suction cleaner, a whirl chamber adapted to be connected to acleaning nozzle to separate dirt from air passing therethrough, asuction-creating unit connected to said whirl chamber to draw airtherefrom, and a filter chamber including a cylindrical filter connectedto said suction-creating means to receive and lter air exhaustedtherefrom, a ring-like brush movable longitudinally of said cylindricallter to dislodge collected dirt therefrom, manually operable means topropel said brush, a stationary suction intake within said lter chamberto remove said dirt dislodged by said brush and positioned adjacent saidbrush in one of its positions, and air-conducting means connecting saidintake t0 said whirl chamber.

WALTER E. BIBLE.

